Automatic release aerial delivery container



March 20, 1945.

F. G. MANsoN Erm.

2 Sheets-Sheet l QQ www,

L/A/Wfsc/ /V SKEV March 20, 1945. F. G. MANsoN ET Al.

AUTOMATIC RELEASE AERIAL DELIVERY CONTAINER Filed Feb. 18, 1943 2y Sheets-Sheet 2 i Patented Mar. 20, 1945 AUTOMATIC RELEASE AERIAL DELIVERY CONTAINER FrankG. Manson and James J. Maskey, Dayton, Ohio Application February 18, 1943, Serial No. 476,286

6 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to use of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to containers `for safely delivering articles of a breakable nature by dropping them from aircraft by parachute, and is particularly applicable where the time in which the container may be opened ,and the contents removed must be kept at a minimum, as for instance where rifles, machine guns, etc., are dropped to paratroops at or near a scene of action.

Many containers of this class have recently been developed, but so far as is known, all are delivered closed with some sort of a fastener which mustl be opened before the contents may be removed. l

It is therefore an. object of this invention to provide a container of this general class but which has automatic means, operative by impact of the container on the ground, for undoing the fasteners which hold the device closed.

One of the difliculties encountered in develop ing a container with automatic opening mechanism responsive to impact has been that the tendency of a parachute, upon landing its load, is t drag the load along on the ground a considerable distance, and when this happens after the container has been automatically opened byimpact, the contents are strewn and scattered over a wide area, which not only retards their recovery by the paratroops but may considerably damage such precision instruments as present-day weapons, by

dragging them over muddy or stony terrain.

It is therefore another object of this invention to provide means, which may also be responsive to the same impact mechanism as opens the container, to completely disconnect the parachute from the container at the instant of landing.

A further difiiculty encountered in the development of this invention has been that, when an impact mechanism has been provided which will satisfactorily open the container and disconnect the parachute upon landing, the same impact mechanism is also readily operable accidentally, so that too great care to prevent accidental operation of the automatic opening and releasing mechanism is required between the time that the container is packed and the time it is taken aloft vand intentionally dropped.

It is therefore another object of this invention to provide a locking device which will hold the automatic impact-responsive opening and releasries pairs of lugs I1 between which the risers I9 ing mechanism in a locked state, such locking' device being undone automatically at the time the container leaves the aircraft on its way to the ground.

Other objects and advantages will be recognized as the invention is. further described and reference is made to the drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the improved container, part being shown in section to disclose position.

Fig. 4 shows one of the fasteners in the closed position.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The embodiment of the invention herein shown may, for illustrative purposes, be divided into three main partsthe parachute housing i0, the load carrying compartment I2, and the impactresponsive mechanism I4 which operates the automatic opening and parachute-disconnecting means.

The parachute housing IIJ comprises a sheet metal cylinder I6 turned over at the top as at I8 and provided with a circular bottom 20 having a rim 22. About half of the rim 22 extends into the cylinder IB, to which it may be spot-welded or similarly secured. The other half of the rim 22 protrudes from the cylinder IS- and extends into the load compartment I2. A cup-shaped cover 24 may preferably be made of waterproof fabric, with an elastic band 26 around the open end of the cover. 'Ihe band 26 serves to hold the open end of the cover snugged up to the cylinder i6, making a waterproof joint, and also provides the necessary friction to yleldingly hold the cover in place, yet allow it to be pulled of! with a moderate pull at the closed end. The bottom 20 carof a parachute 2l are releasably held by pull pins 23. A static line 25 has its end stitched by a wardly at 30 and provided with s'. circular base member 32'having a rim 34 which may be spotwelded to the shell or be similarly secured.

The load-carrying compartment l2 comprises two semicylindrical parts 36 and 38 (see Fig. 3), both of which lap over and rest on the rim 22 at one end, and the shell 28 at the other end. Amally spaced reinforcing bands are also made up of semlcircular straps 40 and 42, these straps being secured, preferably1 by spot-welding, to the semicylindrical parts 36 and 38 respectively.

Straps 40 and 82, where they come together at one of the junctions between the semicylindrical parts, are formed into hinge joints 44, and where they abut at the other juncture between the cylinder halves, are provided with a hasp-and-staple connection consisting of a hasp 06 hinged at 48 and secured to thel strap 42 by rivets 60, and a staple 52 welded or similarly secured at the end of the strap 80.

Where the upper semicylindrical part 36 laps over and rests on the rim 22 and shell 28, it is preferably spot-welded or otherwise secured to these parts. The lower semicylindrical part 38, however, is left free to swing open on the hinge 44 when the hasp-and-staple connection is undone (see Fig. 3).

Within the shell 23 a hanged hub 54 is secured to the base member 32 by any suitable means. A guide tube 56 is fastened in the hub and a pilot tube 58 is slidable in said guide tube. On the outer end of the pilct tube 58 is secured a hanged hub 60 which is in turn fastened to the bumper member 62.

Struts 64 and 66 support a washer 68 upon which one end of a spring 10 rests, the other end reacting against the bumper 62 to urge ltoutwardly. An outwardly turned ange l2 engages the inturned flange 30 to limit outward movement of the bumper 62. A collar lli pinned to ,the pilot tube 58 is providedl for engaging the outer end of the guide tube 56 to limit inward movement of the bumper.

Clamped to thel outside of the guide tube 56 is a split collar 16, one side having a pair of ears 18 through which a bolt 80 may pass to clamp the collar in position on the tube. Opposite the ears 18 a bracket 82 extends from the collar outwardly and carries, at its outer end, a small grooved pulley 84. A cable 86 has a washer 88 fastened to its inner end, the washer resting on the inner end of the pilot tube 58, and the cable passing outwardly through a slot 90 in the tube, over the pulley 84, and through several lengths of conduit 82, 9B, and s6 into the parachute housing I0. The lengths of conduit are supported on the upper semicylindrical part 36 by brackets 98 which are secured to this cylindrical part by rivets or similar fastening means.

Intermediate interfacing ends of the conduits 92 and 94, and intermediate interfacing ends of the conduits 94 and 96 the cable 86 has spliced thereto the short lengths of cable which carryV the pull pins (see Fig. 4), which pass through the staples 52 and over the hasps 46 to hold the load-carrying compartment AI2 closed.

After the cable 86 passes through the conduit 96 into the parachute housing I0 itis divided into two branches, a branch extending to each pullv pin 23, the two of which hold the parachute risers |9 fast to the lugs I1 until the pins are withdrawn. A handle |02 attached to a short length of cable |04 which is spliced into the main cable 86 and brought out through an opening in the conduit 92, is provided for opening the-load chamber and disconnecting the parachute risers manually when that becomes desirable.

The safety device which prevents pulling of the pins |00 and 28, by inadvertent or accidental impact on the bumper 82, consists of a pawl |06 which is pivotally supported between the ears 'I8 on the bolt 80. The nose of this pawl is turned downward and extends through a loose hole in the guide tube 56 into a somewhat closer fitting hole in the pilot tube 68. VAs long as the nose of this pawl extends into the hole in the pilot tube 58, the bumper cannot be operated.

To hold the nose of the pawl |06 in the locked position shown in Fig. 1, a cable |08 is fastened to the heel end of the pawl and passes through the conduit ||0 into the parachute housing I0. The conduit ||0 is held positioned on the semicylindrical post 36 by a bracket l I2.

The extreme upper end of the cable |08 is formed into an eye |09 through which a break cord H8 extends in joining the cable to the static line 25. In order that the eye |09 may come adjacent the lower'end of the static line 25 for connection thereto without requiring too great accuracy in the length of the cable |08, an extension coil spring ||6 is interposed in the cable within the shell 28, whereby the cable may be stretched as required, thereby putting the spring in tension and holding the pawl |06 with its nose extending downward through the hole in the pilot tube 58. A washer ||1 limits the amount of extension of the spring |l6. The bumper 62 is in this manner held locked against movement as long as the break cord |I is not ruptured.

When the break cord Il# tears and the tension in the spring ||6 is released, a light expansion spring I I5 (see Fig. 2) raises the nose of the pawl out of the hole in the pilot tube 5B and thereby conditions theA apparatus for operation by the impact bumper 62. Links |20 are provided for launching the apparatus from a bomb rack.

The operation of the device is as follows:

With the semicylindrical part 38 swung to open position on its hinge M, the load-carrying compartment I2 is packed with rifles or similar devices with such packing interspersed as the nature of the goods requires. The part 38 is then swung to closed position, the hasps 46 putover the staples 152, and the pins |00 inserted in the staples over the hasps (see Fig. 4)

The loops of the parachute risers I9 are now laid between the lugs |1, then the pins 23 are inserted through the loops. next packed in the housing l0 in the usual manner and the cover 24 applied. The eye |09 of the cable |08 is drawn to the opening 29 of the cover and joined to the static line 25 by the break cord H4. This tilts the nose of the pawl |06 downward into the hole in the pilot tube 58 and locks the bumper 62 against movement. The top of the canopy of the parachute is alsojoined to the static line by the break cord 21. The device is now in condition tobe handled without danger of operating the impact releasing mechanism accidentally.

The device may be launched from an aircraft in any manner desired, but may preferably be carried on the bomb rack by the links |20, the free end of the static line 25 being attached by a suitable means to theA aircraft. When released, the device drops until the static line 25is tautened. This pulls on the cable |08, extending the spring H6 until the Washer ||1 encounters the end of the conduit ||0, whereupon the break cord H4 tears, slacking the cable |08 and spring H6, a1

The parachute isv lowing the lighter Spring Il! to move the pawl llt to the unlocked position shown in Fig. 2.

As soon as the break cord l Il is torn, the static line 25 .starts to withdraw the parachute 2i from the housing I0 after first removing the cover 2l. When the canopy is withdrawn full length, the break cord 21 tears, the canopy opens, and the device moves at reduced speed to the ground.

When strikingv the ground, the impact on the bumper 62 telescopes the tubes 56 and il, and., by

drawing the cable 86 over the pulley I4. withdraws the pins itil to open the load compartment i2. and simultaneously withdraws the pins 23 to disconnect the parachute from the container so that the open container will not be dragged and the contents will not, therefore, be scattered. Obviously, a minimum of time is required for the paratroops to remove the contents, since no latches, buckles, or similar fasteners are provided which need be opened manually after the container has alighted.

Having described our invention, we claim: f

l. An automatic release aerial delivery contalner comprising, in combination, a hollow receptacle, transverse partitions dividing said receptacle into three compartments, a parachute in one end compartment, operating mechanism in the other end compartment, an access door in the intermediate compartment for entry and removal oi the articles to be delivered, attaching means in the parachute compartment for holding the parachute risers, means for releasing said attaching means, locking means on said access door for releasably holding said door closed, said operating mechanism comprising an impact responsive member with means for connecting said impact responsive member to said locking means and said releasing means, operative upon impact to release said risers and said locking means, latch means normally engaged for securing said impact member against movement by impact. means interconnecting said latch means and said parachute, operative to release said latch means by partial withdrawal of said parachute :from the parachute compartment. and manual means for operating said connecting means.

2. An automatic release aerial delivery container, comprising, 'in combination, a 'hollow rel ceptacle, transverse partitions dividing said reto release said risers and said locking means.,

latch means normally engaged for securing said impact member against movement by impact, means interconnecting said'lstch means and said parachute, operative to release said latch means by withdrawal oi' said parachute from the parschute compartment.

3. An automatic release aerial delivery conltainer, comprising, in combination, a hollow receptacle, partitions dividing said receptacle into three compartments, a parachute in one com` partment, operating mechanism in another compartment. an access door in the third compartment for entry and removal of the articles to be delivered, releasable means inthe parachute compartment for attaching the parachute risers, locking means on said access door for holding said door closed. the operating mechanism comprising an impact-responsive member with means connecting said impact-responsive member to said releasable means, operative upon impact to release said risers, latch means normally engaged for securing said impact member against movement by impact, means interconnecting said latch means and said parachute, operative to release said latch means by withdrawal of said parachute from the parachute compartment.

4. An automatic release aerial delivery container, comprising, in combination, a hollow receptacle, a parachute in one part of said receptacle, operating mechanism in another part of said receptacle, an access door in said receptacle for entry and removal of the articles to be delivered, means secured to the receptacle for holding the parachute risers, locking means on said access door for releasably holding said door.

ceptacle, a parachute in one part of said recep- ,u

tacle. operating mechanism in another part of said receptacle, an access door in said receptacle for entry and removal of the articles to be delivered. releasable means. on said receptacle for attaching the parachute risers, locking means on said access door for releasably holding said door closed, the operating mechanism comprising an impact-responsive member with means connecting said impact-responsive member to said locking means and said releasable means, operative upon impact to release said risers and said locking means.

8. An automatic release `aerial delivery container, comprising, in combination, a hollow receptacle, s parachute in onepart of said receptacle. operating mechanism in another part of said receptacle, an access door in said receptacle for entry and removal of the articles to be delivered, locking means on said access door for releasably holding said door closed, the operating comprising an impact-responsive member with means connecting said impact-re sponsive member to said locking means, operative upon impact to release said locking means.

FRANK G. MANSON. JAMES J. MABKEY. 

